Furniture caster



Oct. 8, 1929. F. SIMON FURNITURE cA sTER Filed Oct. 2. 1926 k zlww/ntoz fled L. 5/0700 7 support, this type of caster,

Patented Oct. 8, 1929 FRED L. SIMON, OF BALTIMORE, MARYLAND FURNITURE CASTER AppIication filed. October 2,

My invention relates to furniture casters.

One object of my invention is to devise a caster, adapted for use with various articles of furniture, which is arranged to selectively provide a rolling or a fixed support of relatively large area for said furniture.

A further object is to devise a caster of the character described which is operable by the hand or foot as desired and which is arranged toobviate any necessity for raising the furniture as a preliminary to placing the caster in either of its operative positions.

A further object is to devise a caster as described which is characterized by a high degree of simplicity and a low cost of production through forming certain of the major elements thereof from stampings of sheet ma terial.

It has long been recognized that the use of the ordinary roller caster is attended with certain disadvantages, particularly in connection with tables, pianos, desksand other articles of heavy furniture. While satisfactory for the purpose of providing a rolling due to its small bearing area with the floor, is objectionable as a stationary support. The high pressure operating over this small area creates depressions in the floors and floor coverings if the furnitureispermittedto remain-in one loca tion.

Accordingly, it has been found necessary to insert wooden or glass cups between the rollers and the floor, a solution which prevents formation of the above depressions but hinders an easy movement of the .furniture unless the cups are removed. As a'further solution of the problem, other casters have been proposed of the same general nature as that described in this application, but they are usually characterized either by an undue complexity of arrangement, or they necessitate the lifting of the-furniture proper in ad dition to an actuation of the caster for placing the latter in the desired operative position.

My improved caster is designed to overcome the above objections through a simple combination of elements, which are arranged to effect an operative engagement of the roller with the floor by a direct movement of a suit 1926'. Serial K0. 139,203.

able lever. Unlocking of the roller is achieved through a reverse movement of this lever whereupon the roller is returned to aninoperative position by the weight of the. furniture and the stationary portion of the caster than contacts with the floor. Accord. ing to my construction, it is unnecessary to remove the weight of the furniturefrom the caster to operate the latter, as the entire functioning is effected atthe caster. The foregoing advantages have been. incorporatedin a caster which may be cheaply manufactured from stampings of sheet materialand which is readily adaptable to designs of an attractive nature.

There and further objects of my invention will be set forth in the following specification, reference being had to the accompanying drawing and the novel means-by which said objects are effectuated will be definitely pointed out in the claims.

In the drawing:

Fig. 1 is a side elevation of my improved caster showing the same in a rolling position.

Fig. 2 is a view similar to Fig. 1 but showing the caster in a stationary position.

Fig. 3 is a view looking in the direction of the arrow 3 in Fig. 1.

Figs. 4 and 5 are plan views of the stamp ings from which the operating lever and housing, respectively, used in my casting are formed.

Tn the drawing 2 The numeral represents a housing which is preferably formed from a stamping of sheet material having the general outline as shown in 5. This stamping is bent along the lines 111-1 to form the top 12 and sides, or legs, 13-18 of said housing. The stampingis again bent along the lines 14-44: to form the flanges, or feet, 15,15 of said house ing, and is also bent along the lines 1616 to form the tabs 1717 which serves to close one side of the housing 10.

The top 12 is provided with an aperture'18 for the reception of a spindle 19 that is adapted for engagement with a leg or any desired portion of the furniture. Said spindle is intended to diagrammatically represent any ap; proved means for securing the housing 10 to the furniture which the caster supports.

The sides 13 are provided with aligned apertures 20 and aligned slots 21 for a purpose hereinafter explained. Said slots are formed of an upper portion 22 which is angularly disposed to the vertical and a lower portion 23 which is angularly disposed to the portion 22.

An operating lever-24 is pivotally secured to the housing 10 by means of a pintle 25 which extends through the apertures 20. Said lever is preferably formed from a stamping having the general outline as shown in Fig. 4 and is bent along the lines 2-626 to form the parallel arms 2727 which are connected by the portion 28. Said stamping is further bent along the line 29 to form the flange 30 that is provided for actuation by the hand or foot as hereinafter described. An aperture 31 is formed in the end of each arm 21 opposite to the portion 28 and the pintle 25 passes therethrough. At a convenient point in the lower edge of each arm 27, as viewed in Figs. 1, 2 and 4, a notch 32 is formed for a purpose hereinafter explained. then the lever 24 is secured to the housing 10, the notch 32 is so positioned in said lever that when the latter occupies the position shown in Fig. 2, said notch will be free of the pintle 34 that extends through the slots 21 and carries the roller 33. In this position, the lower, straight edge of said lever rests on said pintle, which is adjacent the upper end of the slots 21, and the roller 33 is fully retracted within said housing with the feet resting on the floor.

If now it is desired to change the caster to a rolling position, it is only necessary to bear down on the flange 30 with the foot or hand, thus causing the lower edges of the arms 27 to coact with the pintle 34. With this point of contact serving as a fulcrum, it is obvious that pressure exerted on the flange 30 will cause an upward movement of the housing 10 through the medium of the pintle 25 which connects the lever 24 to said housing. During this actuation, the pintle 34 is operating in the slots 21 which are moving upward with the housing 10 and by reason of the angular relation of the upper portions 22 of said slots to the vertical, said pintle is gradually moved further from the pintle 25 along the lower edges of the arms 27 until the notches 32 slip into engagement with the pintle 34. This engagement is arranged to occur when the pintle 34 has reached the lower portions 23 of the slots 21, whereupon said pintle, and the roller 33 which it carries, is locked in position by the interaction with the walls of said portions and of the notches 32, the weight on the caster operating on the pintle 34 and tending to cause its movement towards the right, as viewed in Fig. 1, which movement is prevented by said notches.

To restore the caster to its original position, it is merely required to pull upwardly on the flange 30, thus serving to unlock the pintle 34 and permitting the weight of the furniture to again cause contact of the feet 15 with the floor and to retract the roller 33 within the housing 10. Accordingly, it is obvious that my improved caster is moved to and locked in a rolling position by a simple and direct movement of the operating lever 24, but that it is only necessary to move said lever in the opposite direction to unlock the roller, since the weight of the furniture thereupon moves the caster to its stationary position.

My improved caster is readily and cheaply manufactured from any suitable sheet material and is capable of being worked out in many attractive forms for various types of installations.

While I have shown one set of elements and combinations thereof for elfectuating my improved caster, it is to be understood that the same is for. the purpose of illustration only and in nowise to limit my caster to the exact forms and structures shown, for many changes may be made therein without departing from the spirit of my invention.

i claim:

1. In a furniture caster, the combination of a housing comprising aligned slots, a roller provided with a pintle slidably mounted in said slots, and a lever actuating said pintle for elevating said housing and locking said roller in the supporting position.

2. In a furniture caster, the combination of a housing comprising aligned slots, each of said slots being composed of lower and upper portions angularly disposed, apintle carrying a roller slidably mounted in said slots, and a lever including notches acuting said pintle for elevating said housing, said notches being arranged to lock said pintle in said lower slot portions.

3. In a furniture caster, the combination of a housing, a roller slidably secured thereto, and a lever actuating said roller to elevate said housing and to lock said roller in the supporting position when moved in one direction and to unlock said roller when moved in the opposite direction, the unlock ing movement of said lever permitting a relative movement to said roller and housing under the action of gravity.

4. In a furniture caster, the combination of a housing comprising aligned slots, each of said slots being composed of lower and upper portions angularly disposed, a pintle carrying a roller slidably mounted in said slots, and a lever actuating said pintle for elevating said housing and including notches for locking said pintle in said lower slotportions in a supporting position when actuated in one direction and to unlock said pintle when actuated in the opposite direction, the unlocking movement of said lever permitting a return of said roller to an inoperative position under the action of gravity.

5. In a furniture caster, the combination of a housing, a roller slidably secured thereto, and a lever actuating said roller for elevating said housing and to lock said roller in the supporting position when moved downwardly, and to free said roller for return to an inoperative position under the action of gravity When moved'upvvardly.

6. In a furniture caster, the combination of a housing comprising aligned slots, each of said slots being composed of lower and upper portions angularly disposed, a pintle carrying a roller slidably mounted in said slots, and a lever actuating said pintle for elevating said housing, said lever having notches arranged for locking engagement with said pintle in said'lower slot portions, and said lower slot portions being disposed below the pivot of said lever.

7. In a furniture'caster, the combination of a housing, a roller slidably secured thereto, and a lever for locking said roller in a supporting position relative to said housing when moved in one direction and to unlock said roller when moved in the opposite direction, the unlocking movement of said lever permitting a return of said roller to an inoperative position under the action of gravity.

In testimony whereof, I aflix my slgnature.

FRED L. SIMON. 

